Day: February 18, 2019

LONDON — British lawmakers issued a scathing report Monday that calls for tougher rules to keep Facebook and other tech firms from acting like “digital gangsters” and intentionally violating data privacy and competition laws. The report on fake news and disinformation on social media sites followed an 18-month investigation by Parliament’s influential media committee. The committee recommended that social media... Read More

BEIJING — China’s government on Monday accused the United States of trying to block its industrial development by alleging that Chinese mobile network gear poses a cybersecurity threat to countries rolling out new internet systems. And in a potential blow to the U.S.’s effort to rally its allies on the issue, British media reported that the country’s intelligence agencies have... Read More

OTTAWA — The Competition Bureau says it’s approved the transfer of Metro Inc.’s interests in 10 retail pharmacies in Quebec to two other companies. The bureau and Metro reached an agreement in 2018 to address competition concerns around the grocer’s $4.5-billion acquisition of The Jean Coutu Group Inc. A bureau review found the deal would likely lead to substantially higher... Read More

CALGARY — Connacher Oil and Gas Ltd. says it has abandoned a court-supervised sale of the company to East River Oil and Gas Ltd. after the buyer failed to make a required deposit payment by Feb. 15. The Calgary-based oilsands producer had negotiated a conditional deal for East River to pay $113.5 million to acquire Connacher, but East River was unable to obtain necessary... Read More